Bristle for liquid-reservoir hairbrush

ABSTRACT

A bristle of a liquid-reservoir hairbrush with a tube and a roller-ball nozzle located at the tube&#39;s end, wherein the tube has a channel bounded by a tube wall, and wherein the tube wall has an internal surface. A feeder is placed into the channel The feeder has an external surface, and a spacing between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the tube wall is great enough so that liquid can flow between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the tube wall only by gravity, but not by capillary action, and air located outside of the roller-ball nozzle can flow through the roller-ball nozzle and then between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the tube wall in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle to the proximal end of the tube.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/625,625, filed Apr. 17, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is Liquid-reservoir hairbrushes and combs have been available for years. In addition to combing and brushing, these devices allow a user to distribute different types of liquids over the user's scalp and/or through their hair. To be able to distribute the liquid only over the user's scalp and not make the hair wet, the liquid outlets (viz., nozzles) usually are located at distal ends of the comb teeth or brush bristles (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,347,894 to Stewart, U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,195 to Moses and U.S. Pat. No. 2,381,048 to Habostad). Some of these devices have hollow teeth with openings (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,347,894 to Stewart) or roller-ball nozzles (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,195 to Moses) located at the ends of the comb teeth. The main disadvantage of the above hollow-teeth devices is difficulties with controlling the direct flow of the liquid that has a place into the hollow comb teeth or brush bristles. Since a diameter of the nozzle is much smaller than a size of a liquid reservoir, different types of pumps are used to force the liquid flow through the nozzle. Accordingly, a person using this type of device has to adjust the liquid flow dispensed through the nozzle by operating different types of control mechanisms (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,250 to Walter and U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,290 to Thiruppathi). Since the user usually has to perform the above procedure during hair brushing or combing, the prior art liquid-reservoir hairbrushes and combs with pumps are relatively complicated to operate.

To prevent a natural outflow of liquid from the ends of liquid-reservoir comb teeth (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,018 to O'Connor) or hairbrush bristles (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,442 to Piatetsky), a different type of materials which support capillary action can be placed into the teeth or bristles channels. The main disadvantage of these types of the devices is that capillary action in most cases cannot disperse a sufficient amount of liquid (e.g., treatment solutions) over the user's scalp during routine hair-brushing.

Accordingly, there is a need for teeth or bristles (for a liquid-reservoir hair device) which are of simple design (e.g., which can operate without use of the pumps or valves) and are controllable to deliver a sufficient amount of liquid to the nozzles, and, at the same time, which can prevent a natural outflow of liquid from these nozzles, when the nozzles are located at the teeth or bristle's ends.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a bristle for a liquid-reservoir hairbrush that is capable of dispersing water-based solutions and other thin and non-viscous liquids over a user's scalp during hair brushing. This object is achieved by placing a feeder into the bristle's tube with a roller-ball nozzle located at the bristle's end.

The feeder can have a different shape and does not contact or only partially contacts an internal surface of a wall of the bristle's tube, and a maximum spacing between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the wall of the bristle's tube is great enough so that liquid can flow between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the wall of the bristle's tube (between the two surfaces) only by a gravity, and not by a capillary action. This means that the liquid located inside a reservoir of the liquid-reservoir hairbrush can flow in the direction of the roller-ball nozzle between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the wall of the bristle's tube only by gravity, and not by capillary action. Moreover, this means that when the liquid located between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the wall of the bristle's tube flows by gravity in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle to the reservoir of the liquid-reservoir hairbrush, air located outside of the roller-ball nozzle can come through a gap and then flow between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the wall of the bristle's tube in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle to the proximal end of the bristle's tube and to the reservoir.

Furthermore, this means that each bristle, depending on it's position relative to the direction of the gravitational force during hair-brushing does one of two things. First, it emits liquid and then disperses it over the user's scalp, when the liquid flows by gravity between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the wall of the bristle's tube in the direction from the reservoir to the roller-ball nozzle. Second, it can supply air to the reservoir when the liquid flows by gravity between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the wall of the bristle's tube in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle to the proximal end of the bristle's tube and to the reservoir.

Having the air simultaneously flow into the reservoir as the roller-ball nozzles emit liquid is very important in order to equalize the air pressure so liquid will be able to flow from the reservoir to the distal ends of the bristle's tubes and then exit through the roller-ball nozzles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is isometric view of a liquid-reservoir hairbrush with exemplary bristles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a detail view showing an exemplary first bristle assembly of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary bristle of the invention located in a liquid-reservoir hairbrush of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional detail view of a bristle's nozzle of the invention mounted at a distal end of the bristle and distal portions of the bristle's tube and feeder of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially opened detail view of a nozzle of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially exposed detail view of another embodiment of a nozzle of the invention and a distal portion of a feeder of the invention.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing an embodiment of a section of a feeder in a bristle's tube of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a liquid-reservoir hairbrush 1 of the present invention is designed to disperse water-based solutions and other thin and non-viscous liquids over a user's scalp during hair brushing. The hairbrush 1 has a handle 2 and a flexible membrane 4 with a plurality of bristles 5. The handle 2 has a filler inlet 3 with a removable cap 14 so the user can unscrew the cup 14 to fill the brush 1 with liquid through the filler inlet 3. Referring to FIG. 3, each bristle 5 is comprised of a tube 6, a roller-ball nozzle 7, a holder 8 and a feeder 9. The tube 6 has a proximal end 11 and a distal end 10. The proximal end 11 is connected to the flexible membrane 4 by the holder 8. The liquid 12 is retained inside the brush 1 in a reservoir 13. The holder 8 has a bottom part 15 and a top part 16. The proximal end 11 of the tube 6 is inserted into the bottom part 15 of the holder 8 forming the first bristle's assembly 17 (FIG. 2). The first bristle's assembly 17 is inserted into the flexible membrane 4 and then the top part 16 of the holder 8 is connected with the bottom part 15 of the holder 8 forming the second bristle's assembly 18 (FIG. 3). The first bristle's assembly 17 (FIG. 2) is formed by press-fitting without using glue. The second bristle's assembly 18 (FIG. 3) is formed with glue in order to prevent the disconnection of the top 16 and the bottom 15 parts of the holder 8 when the bristle 5 moves while the brush 1 is in use. The feeder 9 (FIG. 3) is inserted into the holder 8 and into the tube 6. The bottom part 15 of the holder 8 has four feeder holders 19 (FIGS. 2-3), which hold the feeder 9 within the tube 6. The roller-ball nozzle 7 (FIG. 3) is formed at the distal end 10 of the tube 6 and has a roller-ball seat 21 (FIGS. 3 and 6), a roller-ball 20 and an edge 22. The roller-ball seat 21 has three inwardly projecting portions 23, which form three channels 24 (FIG. 6) and a capillary hole 25 (FIG. 3). Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the roller-ball nozzle can also be formed by inserting a roller-ball tip 28 into a tube 6. The roller-ball tip 28 has the roller-ball seat 21, the roller ball 20 and an edge 22. The roller-ball seat 21 has channels 24 and a capillary hole 25. The distal end 27 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the feeder 9 contacts the inwardly projecting portions 23 (FIG. 6) or the roller-ball seat 21 of the roller-ball tip 28 (FIGS. 4 and 5).

Referring to FIGS. 3-7, in an embodiment of the invention an external diameter 35 of the tube 6 is about 2.0 mm. A thickness 29 of the tube wall 44 is about 0.2 mm and an internal diameter 36 of the tube 6 is about 1.6 mm. A thickness 33 of an insert part 34 of the roller-ball tip 28 is about 0.1 mm. A diameter 32 of the capillary hole 25 of the roller-ball seat 21 is about 0.8 mm. An outside diameter 37 of the feeder 9 is about 0.9 mm. The feeder 9 has a round shape, and a spacing 38 between an external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and an internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 is about 0.35 mm, and the feeder 9 does not contact the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43, but only contacts the feeder holders 19 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of the bottom part 15 of the holder 8 and the inwardly projecting portions 23 or the roller-ball seat 21 of the roller-ball tip 28.

The feeder 9 can be designed to have a different shape 41 (FIGS. 7), so that the external surface 42 of the feeder 41 only partially contacts the internal surface 31 of the tube 6. The diameter of the roller-ball 20 is about 1.6 mm and the diameter 32 of the capillary hole 25 is about 0.8 mm. The roller-ball nozzle 7 has the gap 40, so the liquid 12 can exit the roller-ball nozzle 7 when the roller-ball 7 contacts the user's scalp during hair-brushing. While these figures are noted, the feeder 41 and roller-ball nozzle 7 can have different dimensions as desired.

Referring to FIGS. 2-7, the tube 6 and the roller-ball 20 can be made from stainless-steel or other metals or materials. The bottom part 15 of the holder 8 can be made from nylon and the top part 16 of the holder 8 can be made from polycarbonate. The roller-ball tip 28 is made from stainless steel and the flexible membrane 4 is made from a flexible material, such as silicone. The feeder 9 can be made from nylon and has capillary channels 39 which support capillary action through the body of the feeder only. The feeder 41 is also made from nylon, but does not have capillary channels.

Referring to FIGS. 3-7, the maximum spacing between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 is great enough so that liquid 12 can flow between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 (between the two surfaces) only by a gravity, and not by capillary action. This means that the liquid 12 located inside the reservoir 13 can flow in the direction of the roller-ball nozzle 7 between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 only by gravity, and not by capillary action.

Moreover, referring to FIGS. 3-7, this means that when the liquid located between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 flows by gravity in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle 7 to the reservoir 13, air located outside of the roller-ball nozzle 7 can come through the gap 40 and then flow between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle 7 to the proximal end 11 of the tube 6 and to the reservoir 13. This air flow will equalize the air pressure in the reservoir 13 with atmosphere pressure.

Furthermore, this means that each bristle (FIGS. 3-7), depending on its position relative to the direction of the gravitational force during hair-brushing does one of two things. First, it emits liquid and then disperses it over the user's scalp, when the liquid flows by gravity between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 in the direction from the reservoir 13 to the roller-ball nozzle 7. Second, it can supply air to the reservoir 13 when the liquid flows by gravity between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle 7 to the proximal end 11 of the bristle's tube 6 and to the reservoir 13.

Thus, when the feeder 9 (FIGS. 3-7) is inserted into the tube 6, the feeder 9 forms the spacing 38 and, depending on a position of the bristle 5 relative to the direction of the gravitational force during hair-brushing, does the following: controls a natural outflow of liquid from the roller-ball nozzle 7, where liquid flows by gravity between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 in the direction from the reservoir 13 to the roller-ball nozzle 7, and, therefore, prevents uncontrollable emitting and dripping of liquid from the roller-ball nozzle 7; or prevents a free uncontrollable flow of the liquid, where liquid flows by gravity between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle 7 to the proximal end 11 of the bristle's tube 6, and, therefore, prevents the forming of air bubbles inside the bristle's tube 6.

Changing the diameter 37 (FIG. 3) and/or shape of the feeder 9 can be used to control the spacing 38 and, accordingly, to control the liquid and air flow between the external surface 42 (FIGS. 5-7) of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43, and, therefore, the amount of liquid that the bristle 5 emits from the roller-ball nozzle 7 onto the user's scalp.

Having the air simultaneously flow into the reservoir 13 as the roller-ball nozzles 7 emit liquid is very important to equalize air pressure in the reservoir 13 in order for the liquid 12 to be able to flow from the reservoir 13 to the distal ends 10 of the bristle's tubes 6 and then exit through the roller-ball nozzles 7. If the air cannot flow inside the reservoir 13 through the bristles 5, the brush 1 (FIG. 1) would have to have a valve or some other mechanism to allow air to be supply to the reservoir 13 (FIG. 3) as liquid 12 is released therefrom. This would make the liquid-reservoir hairbrush very difficult to build and complicated to use.

The roller-ball nozzle 7 (FIGS. 3-5) has the gap 40 and the roller-ball 20. The gap 40 allows air located outside the roller-ball nozzle 7 to come into the roller-ball nozzle 7 and then into the tube 6. The combination of the roller-ball nozzle 7 and the feeder 9 that forms the spacing 38 is crucial because it allows the flow of the liquid into the bristle 5 between the external surface 42 of the feeder 9 and the internal surface 31 of the tube wall 43 only by gravity, and not by capillary action. Thus, this is the ideal combination for the design of the bristle in dispersing liquid over the user's scalp during hair-brushing using gravity, but not capillary action.

Lastly, a much greater amount of liquid can flows through the bristle's tube 6 (FIGS. 3-7) by gravity than it would flow by capillary action, the bristles 5 can disperse over the user's scalp a sufficient amount of treatment solution, such as hair-loss treatment or dandruff treatment solution, during hair-brushing, which would be impossible if liquid were to flow through the bristle 5 by capillary action.

The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A bristle of a liquid-reservoir hairbrush designed for dispersing water-based solutions and other thin and non-viscous liquids over a user's scalp during hair-brushing, comprising: a tube which has a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end has a roller-ball nozzle, and wherein the tube has a channel bounded by a tube wall, and wherein the tube wall has an internal surface; a feeder placed into the channel, wherein the feeder has an external surface, and wherein the external surface of the feeder either does not contact or only partially contacts the internal surface of the tube wall; and wherein a spacing between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the tube wall is great enough so that liquid can flow between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the tube wall only by gravity, but not by capillary action, and air located outside of the roller-ball nozzle can flow through the roller-ball nozzle and then between the external surface of the feeder and the internal surface of the tube wall in the direction from the roller-ball nozzle to the proximal end of the tube.
 2. The bristle of the claim 1, wherein the feeder has capillary channels, so the liquid can flow inside the feeder by the capillary action.
 3. The bristle of the claim 1, wherein the feeder does not have has the capillary channels, so the liquid cannot flow inside the feeder by the capillary action. 